ARTIST STATEMENT
My working method sources structures from molecular, biological, architectural, celestial, and cultural systems. I see interrelationships between systems that have public and private possibilities. For example, the patterns of interior molecular systems may be blended with the exterior structure of plants, combined with bits of an architectural framework and then embedded within a larger celestial formation. Our experience is layered with complex systems that reach through tiny cells, flowering vegetation, and distant galaxies. I look for ways to mix, blend, and juxtapose these systems to create a web of hybrid forms. My work also explores ambiguities between natural and synthetic. The abundance of sensory information in the paintings is like the external environment we often find ourselves in. One could consider how our varied surroundings shape our human experience and range from the micro to the macro. The color, scale, and material of that surface changes and affects our sense of self. These experiences seem to manifest on both private and public levels and it is these moments that drive the work.
BIOGRAPHY
Renee Robbins is a Chicago-based painter that has lived in various cities around the Midwest. She holds a BFA from the University of Kentucky and an MFA from Michigan State University. As an artist, her work has been recognized with awards, grants, publications, and through selection for national exhibitions. Her selected exhibition highlights include the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, South Bend Regional Art Museum, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Ai Gallery, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Tony Fitzpatrick’s Big Cat Press. During the 2008 Chicago Artists Month, she was the featured artist at Function+Art in Chicago’s West Loop gallery district. She received a fellowship in 2004 from the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University to study in Tokyo, Japan, and two CAAP grants from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs/Illinois Art Council in 2009 and 2010.
